Build quality seems good. The bridge seems a little high, but not to a bothering level. Some of the tuning pins were a little loose at first, but that is common with many violins and easy to remedy. Placement of the output jack is perfect. Size and handling feel perfectly natural, for someone used to an acoustic 4/4 violin.
The sound will of course be very dependent on the amplifier and speakers / headphones you use (Yamaha recommend amps with at least 1MOhm impedance.). In my case, with the Blackstar Fly Pack Bass, the sound is great - very full even at low gain settings, the pickup is very sensitive, and with the right amp settings, quite natural.
In that sense, it is also great to use with headphones as a practice violin (or even without an amp, because while it is much quieter than an acoustic violin, it is still perfectly audible). Don't expect it to be totally silent.
Of course, this being an electric violin, the options are endless for playing with the sound, adding effects, and as said, the output level is plenty high.
Design is a personal matter, but I find it very elegant and modern at the same time. Out of place neither in a classical setting nor in a rock band.
It does not come with a case, bow or cable: it's just the violin, well packed in its carton box, with premounted strings and the bridge laying flat, and a paper multilingual user manual.
There are much cheaper options on the market, of very different build quality and for a different target, but I do not regret opting for Yamaha quality, and hope that this investment will prove to be the right decision for many years to come.
